Automobile-clutch.



F. l. TONE.

AUTOMOBILE CLUTCH. l

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1913- 1`,172,502. Ptented Feb.22,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. l. TONE.

AUTOMOBILE CLUTCH.

APPucATloN FILED MAY1.1913.

1,172,502. Patented Feb.22,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRED I. TONE, F INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application led Hay 7, 1913. Serial No. 766,223.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRED I. TONE, a cit-izen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, haveinvented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Auto-\mobile-Clutches, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to automobile clutches and its objects are toprovide means for utilizing the entire bearing surface of each face ofthe fibrous sections of the disk clutch, for providing means for holdingsuch fibrous sections in place without the necessity of rivets or boltspassing therethrough, to provide convenient means for receiving theretaining bolts of the clutch parts, to provide a wider bearing surfacefor the disks against the bolts, whereby wear on the disks at the boltengaging portions is lessened, and to generally improve the constructionof a device of this class.

With these objects in view my invention is embodied in preferable formin the device hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the fly wheel,partly in vertical section, showing my invention applied thereto; Fig.2, is a detail section on line 2-,2 `looking toward the left of theright hand side of the clutch; Fig. 3, a detail sec-v tion on line 3-3of Fig. l, partly in elevation; Fig. 4, a. detail elevation of one ofthe smallerdisks; Fig. 5, a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 adetail elevation of lthe larger disk; Fig. 7, a section on line 7-7 ofFig. 6; Fig. 8,'a detail edge View of clutch disks.

Referring tothe drawings, 1 indicates the fly wheel which .constitutesthe driving member of the mechanism of which the clutch is adapted toform the connecting means and 2 indicates a hub fixed on a bushing whichis slidably mounted on the shaft 3. A sleeve 4 is fixed to the hub andbetween the sleeve and hub is a clutch operating spring 5, operable toforce the clutch members together.

At one end of the hub a head. 6 is provided, and at the other end of thefiy wheel, a. head 7 is secured. The clutch members are adapted to be`clamped together and against these heads by the movement-g of u thehub. The hub and the parts fixed metal of the body of the disks theretoare adapted to constitute the driven member.

The clutch comprises a series of thin sheet metal disks 8 adapted toengage with the driving member, a. series of smaller thin sheet metaldisks 9, adapted to engage with the drivenmember and rings 10 of fibrousmaterial interposed between alternate metal disks ofthe two series. Allthe disks are adapted to surround the hub and are confined between theheads 6 and 7. The disks are made of pressed steel, and the retaining.and bearing fianges hereinafter described are formed by stamping orpressing the metal laterally out from the body of each of the disks.This arrangement enables the disk of comparatively low cost to beemployed and enables a multiplicity of such disks to be used whereby theclutching action is increased and affords means readily and cheaplyformed during the process of manufacture for the purpose of providingwide bearings for the supporting means of the disks `and suitableretaining means for the fibrous members without thickening the Referringfirst to the construction of one of the disks 8, it will be seen thatthe same has a large central aperture 11 adapted to take over the hub 2.In the outer edge 'of 85 this disk or ring 8, are formed open curvedslots or recesses 12, through which are adapted to pass bolts 13, whichengage the fly wheel 1. By means of this connection the disks arepositively rotated with the fly wheel but are permitted a lateralmovement longitudinally of the bolts. Surrounding each ofthe recesses 12is a flange 13 which provides a bearing surface against the bolts ofgreater width than .the normal thickness ofthe disk.

Each of the disks is provided on its inner surface near its outer edgewith flat bent f springs 14 adapted to have their free ends projectinwardly and to bear against the adjacent face of a disk 8 for thepurpose of aiding in forcing the disks apart when the clutch isreleased. Each disk 8 is provided on its outer face with an annularouter flange 15 andan inner flange 16 extending from the inner edge ofthe disk and in the grooves Vthus formed is placed loosely anannularjfibrous friction member 10 madeV preferably of woven asbestos.

The disks 9 are mounted alternatelywith 1.10

respect to the disks 8, each of the disks 9 being carried between twolarge disks 8. The disks 9 are smaller than the disks 8 and theirouteredges are adapted to extend out flush with the perimeters of thesefibrous rings 10 that are carried by disks 8. These smaller disks havecentral apertures adapt ed to take over the hub 2 and are provided attheir inner edges with slots or curved recesses 17 which engage bolts 18extending through the head 6 and into flange 19 at the other end of thehub. A groove 20 is formed in the outer face of each of the disks 9 bymeans of outwardly projecting annular flanges 21 and 22. In the groovethus formed is seated one of the fibrous rings 10 made, as beforestated, preferably of woven asbestos. A flange 23 is provided at theedge of each recess 17 in order to provide wide surfaces to bear againstthe bolts 18.

It will be seen that with the above arrangement the fibrous clutch.members are loosely mounted so as to constitute what may be calledfloating clutch members. By this arrangement the use of rivets or screwsfor fastening the fibrous sections to the metal sections is avoided,thereby obviating the loss of frictional surface occasioned by the useof such fastening means and giv ing a continuous uninterruptedfrictional bearing surface of the two flat faces of the fibrous rings.

' The flanges which surround the borders of the bolt recesses in themetal disks also provide wider bearing surfaces than the thickness ofthe disk would afford and thus tend .to prevent the disks from wearinggrooves in the bolts.

In the operation of the device when the hub is pushed outwardly, thedisks will be. forced apart and the clutch released, the springs 14aiding in this movement.

On the release of the hub the springs 14 will aid in forcing the disksapart, and the spring 5 will force the hub outwardly and clamp thedriving and `driven disks Vtogether, the frictional fibrous rings beingclamped against the adjacent faces of the disks.

Having 'thus described my invention, what I claim is.: y

1. In an automobile clutch, in combina tion with a thin sheet metaldisk, said diskV having laterally extending flanges pressed out from themetal thereof on one face of the same and forming `a groove and anannular fibrous member seated loosely in said groove, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an automobile clutch, in combinal of bolts on which the other setis laterallymovable, the disks of the respective series` having outerand inner pressed out lateral flanges forming bearing portions whichbear against said bolts.-

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 28th day of March, A. D. nineteen hundredand thirteen.

FRED I. TUNE. [11. 's.] l

'Witnesses A. C. RICE, I-I. P. DooLrr'rLE.

